The results of a survey aimed at investigating which tools prescribers have at hand to help them to identify pertinent information from a background of "noise" are reported. A questionnaire was sent to 250 general practitioners randomly selected from a list of those practicing in the Rhône-Alpes region in France, of whom 117 (46.8%) replied. The questionnaire consisted of three sections, the first explored how they dealt with intermediate and clinical outcomes in trials, the second presented a series of statements to identify what would make them prescribe a new drug, and the third looked at their knowledge of therapy assessment methodology. It was found that most general practitioners had not been trained to identify the most salient information for selecting the best treatment. This implies that both medical students and qualified doctors should be taught to recognise pertinent information.